Anyone built a high-headroom low gain amp? Ideas?

[rp]

I think jazz guys play Polytones and little ss amps because someone before them did. The reason that first person did is because it was easy to get up and down a five story NYC walk-up with amp and guitar (in one trip, w/o help) and then get a cab to stop for you. Or if you were in Harlem or the boroughs ride the subway easy. And if you don't need distortion they are good enough.

[Phil_S]

+1 on the Ampeg. They were built for clean headroom.

[Xander8280]

What comes to mind first is whether to add voltage dividers into an amp design you like. Or to use a 12AU7 here or there.
In my experience the 12AU7 as a phase inverter tube and/or V1 cleans things up a LOT. Sacrifices some volume obviously. My jcm800 build got pretty clean with a 12AU7 in V1, with my rickenbacker m11(5E3 variant) a 12AU7 in the V1 or V2 makes it C L E A N but, much quieter.
I imagine an AY7 or AT7 would be a bit less dramatic. But in an existing amp some tube rolling can do some wonders. The Hiwatt or marshall stack is fun to bring for jazz too! haha

[JazzGuitarGimp]

Many years ago, I had a Mini Brute for a while. But I spent three weeks in NYC in 1999, and stumbled across the Mega Brute: 80 Watts and a single 8" speaker, very light and less than one cubic foot. For an 8", it hangs extremely well on high volume (well, for jazz) gigs. In fact, for low volume gigs, I can even use it with my 7-atring, and it carries the low B string very nicely.

[Cameron]

Check out the Standel stuff. I did one for Western swing recently, and it would not break up. I also tried Weber's version(can't remember what it was called right off) and though apparently it was more a "nod" to the Standels, it sounded really good too. Maybe more country clean than warm jazz, but interesting designs nonetheless that stay clean clean clean.

The weber amp is way wrong and it was ....if I remember right sold as the Standel circuit.
The schematic I drew ...the one the looks like it was drawn on a napkin...is the best one...that amp sounded great. The other key to the Standel sound is....low watt amp......... its actually about 18watts ...and a very efficient speaker.....like the D120 ...the older ones have a tighter voice coil gap.....thats why we would get older ones. Danny also made his own .....they where very good but too hard to get made the way he wanted. When I cranked 25l15s through a Marshall cab .....it does break up but its a very smooth type of overdrive....that sounds great with a strat.

[markmalin]

thanks guys. Good discussion. I need to get past this trade show and the next customer build, but I've got lots of ideas now!